


Blind Eyes, but Open Hearts

by CVroute



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hawk Moth is Gabriel Agreste, adrien is a booty boy, gabriel you gotta love him, learning how to bond again
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-12
Updated: 2016-11-12
Packaged: 2018-08-30 13:13:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8534506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CVroute/pseuds/CVroute
Summary: Ever since their mother had left them, Gabriel and Adrien Agreste had become more and more estranged every passing day. Now, Gabriel has recently discovered Adrian's identity as Cat Noir. As Hawkmoth continually threatens the peace of Paris, it is up to Cat Noir and Ladybug to save the day, only to find that not all things can be healed through miraculous powers.





	

“So the scene is set,” he whispered, dark and low. “You lie waiting, breath abated. Your body quivers and shakes with anticipation. The many hours, the many days you have poured your heart into this role. To take part in a story, a tragic tale, that cries out for your name. A star in the making.” His cane tapped against the black marble floor, echoing into the distance. His footsteps follow closely after. A whirr of machinery comes to life above him, slowly exposing his view to the outside world, breaking through the darkness that surrounded him.

“And when the curtains pull back, you see the audience. Their eyes wide and minds silent. You are to be their carrier into imagination, into the impossibility of peculiarity. The light dims. The spotlight shines. And center stage is waiting.” Soft moonlight streamed in through the now revealed window, a large circular and ornate pane with a small hole in the middle that let the evening breeze in. His shadow grew tall behind him, mirroring his movements as he raised his arm. A sudden flutter of butterflies escaped from the shadows and twirled about his grasp. White and gleaming, they danced around him, somehow curious and entranced to this strange man.

“A figure walks in from the darkened street, stopping under a lonely street light. It is a young lady, bundled in her oversized coat, dark with soot. A wool scarf obscures her features. She is cold and alone this terrible night. She had just been casted out from her home. No, she had left of her own accord. A small suitcase she holds in both hands, bringing it closer to her body. She pulls a charred, crumpled note out from her pocket and smooths it out against the hard leather of her case. Her hands shakes and the suitcase drops to the floor with a loud clatter. The note slips from her grasp and escapes into the night. She stumbles, her scarf peels away.” He beckoned and a butterfly heeded. It landed on his finger, flapping its wings gently. He smiled and its wings bent and body broke. Its purity was tainted by a dark power that stained its heart. A twisted little thing took flight, agitated and angry.

“But it is not you on that stage, is it? No, that chance was taken away from you. It was to be your first starring role. Your great break into fame and fortune. She left you a mere spectator, watching from backstage. Does she know how your heart breaks? How your mind cries out in agony? Thief.” Across the rooftops of Paris, the akuma flew quick and straight. Giant spotlights and flags decorated the front of the theatre. Posters of the upcoming show were pasted onto boards and signs, all sold out. The akuma weaved its way through a crack in the doors, through clambering hallways, lost patrons in conversation, and found itself in the presence of a crying woman locked in her dressing room.

“Find a home, petit papillon. Make it pretty. Our guests must feel invited.” The woman sniffled and wiped her tears with a tissue. She was still in costume. Her scarf lied abandoned on the table and her coat was wet from her tears. She sighed and pushed her coat away, only to find a tiny gold brooch underneath. A cheap piece of costume jewelry, crudely smeared with charcoal to represent its journey in fire.

Oh, she mouthed. Helena would need this for the next scene. The thought soured her face and she buried herself into her coat once more. It was not fair. The producers had specifically chosen her. She had worked with them for months before she could convince them she could lead in the new show. But just because some big named actress had to ask, she was pushed aside, all her achievements forgotten. Helena just wanted her name on something new, but Helena did not understand the story as well as she did.

Back into the shadows, always the understudy, never the heroine and thus the akuma found its home.

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Hawkmoth and you were forgotten. But that does not mean circumstances cannot change,” he announced in her mind. She saw the image of a butterfly flutter in front of her. “Go on, take back what is yours. Show her that you are no mere background prop. Show them all your majesty and grace. You will have two new audience members showing up rather late. All I ask for in return for this opportunity is their miraculous. Do you accept?”

“I do. I will do as told, Hawkmoth.”

Police sirens pierced the air as vehicles rushed down the empty streets. Their flashing lights broke though the golden glow of midnight Paris. The fleet raced towards the dark smoke in the distance. Fire broke out in the theatre and the people were screaming in terror. Above them, swinging and prancing along as red and black streaks were the Miraculous Ladybug and Cat Noir, the acclaimed heroes of Paris, defeaters of akuma, and saviors of the populace.

As they neared the burning theatre, Ladybug passed a glance to Cat Noir. This was going to be a long night.

“We need save the people first,” asserted Ladybug. With expert marksmanship, she threw here yo-yo from peak to peak, letting her swing effortlessly between buildings. Cat Noir tailed closely behind, scrambling on all fours at times, navigating with the same ease as Ladybug. “There’s no need to tackle the akuma immediately. We just need to keep the akuma distracted.”

“Well, look at you. You’re pretty heated up tonight,” Cat Noir yowled in the air as he jumped across a whole roof’s length. Ladybug rolled her eyes and tried to suppress a sigh.

“Stay serious Cat Noir. People’s lives are not something to take lightly. We can celebrate after a job well done.”

“Ah, I prefer my meat a little rarer, my lady, but not everyone can be a good chef I suppose.” Cat Noir flashed Ladybug a cheeky grin before ending another jump with a roll. Ladybug gave a crooked smile back and landed on the rooftop across from the theatre. Acrid smoke bit at her nose and throat. The heat made her uncomfortable even in this cold night. She tried to scan through the thick smoke, counting the fleeing patrons and trying to spot the akuma. Cat Noir landed besides her and with sharper eyes, instantly pointed out their enemy in the distance.

“There’s our akuma actress. Now who wants to tell her she’s fired?” he gently chided. Ladybug nudged him, guiding his attention back to the people.

“Alright now, people first, remember? Have you got anymore jokes under your sleeve before we go?”

“The puns don’t work if the opportunity doesn’t present itself,” Cat Noir complained.

“If she comes after us, distract her while I round up trapped people. I’ll join up after the area has been evacuated.” Ladybug jumped off the roof and ran into the smoke. Cat Noir sighed, watching for a moment where she had disappeared. He then rolled his head and shrugged, slipping his metal staff into his hands. It extended with a soft chink. He stretch his arms and jumped into the fray.

“Life’s a tragedy,” La Flamme shouted to her audience. The fires erupted from her hands. Her brooch glittering in their light. She was passion. She was the heart of desire. She was the star that burned as brightly as the sun. “And I am the lead!” She sauntered down into the plaza. A trail of blazes erupted at her feet. A man tripped and fell before her. She smirked as they locked eyes and raised her hand high in the air.

The man covered his face in fear of the growing fire, casting a fearsome shadow over him. Suddenly, the light extinguished, leaving him for a moment in dull moonlight. A long metal staff stood embedded in the ground where it was thrown. La Flamme clutched at her bruised hand. Cat Noir summersaulted over her and landed on his staff.

“When they tell you break a leg, they didn’t mean other people.” Cat Noir kicked his staff back into his hands and charged towards La Flamme.

“Get his miraculous,” Hawkmoth shouted from the ether. La Flamme nodded and engulfed herself in fire. Cat Noir was forced back, dodging thrown fireball after fireball. He grabbed the fallen man by the collar and escaped with him into the distance.

“Okay, off you go,” Cat Noir whispered as he let the man off nearer to the parked police vehicles. Cat Noir ears perked in anticipation. A quick hit with his staff sent a nearby manhole cover flying. With a swift kick, he sent it spiraling behind him.  A fireball colliding with the manhole cover and it fell to the ground a molten slop. Cat Noir huffed. He hoped Ladybug would come around soon. Again, he charged towards La Flamme, staying vigilant for any people left behind.

“Lead her towards the fountain,” Ladybug shouted from above, swinging by. Cat Noir jerked in her direction, catching the extravagant roman fountain that resided in the middle of the plaza. He nodded and dashed after her. Ladybug threw her yo-yo around La Flamme but the sheer heat of the flames prevent it from entangling her. La Flamme refuses to move from where she is, preferring instead to fire ever growing blast after blast.

Ladybug dodges effortlessly, but at the rate the blasts were growing, it would only be a matter of time before La Flamme ended up hitting the houses nearby. The fire department already had their hands full. She needed another way to entice her over. She reeled her yo-yo back and sent it shooting into the air. “Lucky Charm!” The red trails of energy converged in the air and out dropped a cardboard cutout of Cat Noir. Ladybug started in momentary shock. “Oh uh, okay.”

“Hey, looking good.” Cat Noir pointed with a wink.

“Don’t goof off yet.” Ladybug argued back. She glanced over the La Flamme. “I’ve got an idea.”

La Flamme was interrupted from her assault with a flurry of insults. “Man, no wonder you’re second fiddle. You’re a hammy as a clown!” Cat Noir called from the distance. Her gaze narrowed on him. “What a joke,” he taunted as he escaped into the smoke. Ladybug with a calculated hit, broke a part of the fountain, aiming towards a nearby set of flames. The ensuing smoke further concealed Cat Noir’s path. Every fire blast La Flamme threw seemed to miss by a wider and wider margin. At last, she grew frustrated and charged towards Car Noir’s silhouette. A point blank blast scattered bits of charred cardboard around her.

“Cataclysm!” The trails of shadows followed the arc of his hand as it devoured the stone and metal. The gentle steam of water exploded into a tall geyser. The steam hissed as the water drenched La Flamme and left her left powerless. She collapsed to the ground. Ladybug darted to her and glances over to her half melted brooch. Ladybug grabbed the brooch and smashed it into the ground. The thin metal shards tumbled over the grey pavement. From the broken brooch, the akuma fluttered out in a daze. With a swift motion, Ladybug captured the akuma in her yo-yo.

“Here we go,” Ladybug smiled. The yo-yo opened and released a white dancing butterfly. “Bye bye, petit papillon.” She watched as the butterfly disappear behind the smoke. A subtle pulse erupted from her powers. The fires disappeared. The smoke and soot faded into clear air and the theatre was still and proud. No evidence was left behind of the tragedy tonight. The curtains closed and the stage play was over.

La Flamme was no more. The actress held her head as she lay on the ground. “Where am I?”

“Safe and sound,” Ladybug announced. Cat Noir nodded.

His grip tightened on his cane. Hawkmoth scowled. The flow of butterflies spread out away from him, fearful of his rage. Hawkmoth glared at the moon above him, the feed from his akumatised villain long since disconnected. “It cannot continue to go on like this. I supposed there must be some things that must be done by one’s self,” he muttered, trying to keep his anger at bay. He shifted his hands on his cane, rubbing the jewel on the end as a distraction. The gleam off the ring on his ring caught his eye. He bit his lower lip and turned away from the window. The shutter began to close behind him.

The idea of facing his son left a strange feeling in his heart. Facing Cat Noir he knew was inevitable. But Adrien. Oh Adrien. Hawkmoth threw his cane in frustration. The cane shattered into butterflies before it even hit the floor. That damned ring. It was getting harder to dissociate Cat Noir from Adrien. Tonight he was almost tempted to call off the attack, or to at least focus on Ladybug. Adrien was his son. Yes, this was all for his son. For his wife. For all that was good in this world. For his goals, he needed the miraculous. Yet the power over life and death was Tantalus to him and it only salted the wound.

A hand grasped at his heart. All of this was years in the making, the research, the translation, and now the implementation. He initially wanted to goad Fu out into the open, but to be presented with the ladybug and cat kwami was a much better alternative. His grip tightened against his wrinkled shirt. The dark butterflies began to drip away taking away his mask and costume butterfly by butterfly, exposing a white suit and sinister intentions.

Gabriel Agreste stepped out into his office, closing the secret door quietly. His office was dark and empty. The curtains were closed and the only sources of light were the charging blips on his devices. He turned to face her, a still, cold portrait. He could make no details in the dark but it did not matter. All the years weighed on him. He traced her features but could not meet her eyes. “It is only a matter of time. I will have you back.”

“Even if Adrien fights back?” Nooroo whispered in his ear. Gabriel turned his head slowly and glared at Nooroo. The pink kwami shied away at gaze. The kwami was glad for the dark. He did not need to see how livid Gabriel was the moment, the sheer rage that boiled underneath the surface.

“Adrien will understand eventually. As soon as I take his cat miraculous from him, Cat Noir will no longer exist to stand in my way,” Gabriel hissed his measured words through gritted teeth. “Tell me Nooroo. Is it somehow not fair for me to take back what is mine? They took her away from me and they deserve vengeance.”

“This is not what she wants. You are committing terrible crimes, Gabriel. Every time you are corrupting an akuma, you are also hurting yourself. Nothing good will come from this. I know your heart hurts.” Nooroo urged back with shaky words. “But, your crimes -”

“Crimes? I am seeking justice,” Gabriel nearly yelled. His fist slammed on the table. A stack of papers unsettled and crashed onto the floor. “Once this is over, everything will be right. It must be.” Nooroo narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth to argue back, but Gabriel grabbed at the butterfly pin under his collar. “That is enough from you.”

The kwami was sucked away into the pin unable to fight back against Gabriel’s anger. Again, he was left in silence. He took a deep breath and smoothed back his hair, pulling his ascot tie out of his pocket to cover the kwami pin. Gabriel picked up a pair of glasses off the desk and began to walk towards the door. Adrien would be coming home soon.

* * *

 

Cat Noir sidled carefully to the edge of the unlocked window to her bedroom. His room was dark but he did not dare rush in. He scanned every cove and corner before assuring himself that no one was waiting to catch him. He had too many close calls with Nathalie and a few more with his father. He slipped in with nary a sound. With a final fading beep, his powers expired and Cat Noir was no more. Plagg plopped onto the floor with a defeated squeak. Adrien collapsed onto his bed, fully exhausted from the fight.

Howling from the floor, the black kwami rolled around uselessly, “I want cheese, Adrien. Cheeese. My poor stomach needs the most perfect camembert in the world.” Plagg’s little paws flailed in the air.

“Come on you lazy cat, you can just fly to the kitchen whenever you want. I doubt anyone’s going to catch you at this time of night.”

“But last time I did that, you complained how I ate two whole cheese wheels. Do you really trust me to only eat as much as I need?” Plagg mewed. Adrien sat up and saw Plagg looking at him desperately with that kitty pout. “I’m too tired to fly anyways.”

“Alright, alright.” Adrien smirked. “Fair enough. It is getting harder to explain why I need five wheels a week.”

Plagg broke into a toothed grin. “Okay, chop chop. I haven’t got all night, you know. I’ll be right here, dispense the cheese straight into my mouth please.” Plagg closed his eyes and opened his mouth expectantly. Adrien shook in head and slid off his bed. Adrien walked over to Plagg and scooped him up into his hands. Plagg shifted somewhat and started to making chomping motions with his mouth. A paw pointed in, “Cheese. Now.”

“Can’t you be a little more patient?” Adrien let Plagg settle on his shoulder and he tepidly opened the door of his bedroom. Peeking out, he checked both ends of the hallway, making sure no one was around. The hallways were as dark as his room. The faint shafts of moonlight streamed in between closed curtains, barely outlining the corridors and stairs. Adrien stepped out slowly, keeping his steps light and quick. He was not as nimble than when he was Cat Noir, but he knew enough on how to avoid detection.

He made his way down the marble steps silently and into the foyer. He made a mental note not to let Plagg sleep in his hair tonight. The smell of camembert took forever to wash out. As he edged closer to the kitchen entrance, he found himself compelled to look the portrait of him and his father. As grim as ever, Adrien thought, looking into his father’s eyes and stern expression. There was nothing Cat Noir could do to change how father treated him, nothing short of bringing mother back.

Adrien pulled away. He too wished for his mother to come back, but that sort of wish was more a faint idle thought now. Seeing his father so cold and distant after her disappearance, seeing him grieve in that terrible ways of his was a much more constant reminder. Adrien just wanted his father to be happy and then perhaps, his father would be able to return than affection. Plagg slipped off Adrien’s shoulder and floated in place in front of the painting.

“When was this painted?” Plagg inquired, his whiskers drooping somewhat. Adrien paused in reply, caught off guard by Plagg’s curiosity.

“Uh, maybe a month or two after mom disappeared. She just was gone one day and well, you already know how it ends up. Why are you asking now, Plagg? I’m sure you’ve seen this a dozen times already.” Adrien kept his reply to a whisper, remaining vigilant.

“Do you miss her?” Plagg floated over to face Adrien. Adrien shrugged, but could not stop his shoulders from slumping.

“Not just her, but I can’t change things like this. And I don’t think Cat Noir can either.” Adrien stated carefully. Plagg gave Adrien a moment’s incredulous look and zoomed past him, phasing into the kitchen before phasing back out with an armful of cheese.

“Well, that was a nice conversation. Really worked up the appetite.” Plagg mumbled through a full mouth. Adrien huffed, feeling slightly hurt at Plagg’s behavior. That one look Plagg gave him almost felt like disappointment instead of the usual annoyed cat, as if he had said the wrong answer somehow. Yet was he really that surprised? Adrien started to make his way back up the stairs.

“Did I even need to come down here with you? It seems as if –,” Adrien was cut off from speaking from a nearby noise, a creak of an opened door. Plagg escaped into the darkness and left Adrien stranded on the stairwell. He darted besides the railing, trying to keep hidden in the dark. He was not about to retreat into his room yet. He peeked over and saw his father leaving his office, his hands busy with his tie. “Dad.” Ah, there was no need to be alarmed, Adrien assured himself and started to make his way back to his room. His father was just having another late night conflict to resolve. He had contacts and shows all over the world after all.

Adrien watched as his father started to walk towards the stairs, pulling his phone out of his pocket. The backlight illuminated his gaunt and sleep deprived features. When Gabriel reached the first stairwell, no one was there.

Adrien was deep underneath his covers. The serene responses he gave Plagg felt ridiculous. Seeing his father in person dredged up a terrible bitterness. He buried his head into his pillow, his hands clenching into tight fists underneath. His loathing was interrupted by a click of his own door and the shuffling of a body walking in. A strange hope welled up inside of him, but the loathing did not abate.

Adrien ultimately did not want to look. He felt the weight of a body sitting down beside him. He did not want to look. He felt a hand rest on his shoulder. I don’t want to look, Adrien cried out in his mind.

“Adrien.” His father’s voice was quiet, devoid the usual brusqueness that so irritated Adrien. “I suppose it would be too much to ask for you to be awake at this hour.” Adrien bit his lip in conflict, refusing to respond to his father. “I have been thinking over the past few days about how our relationship, how our lives has changed over the years. And I have been left wondering about what sort of impact I impart on you. You are important to me Adrien. Not as a model or as an achiever. You are my son. I know I have not always been a present influence. Please understand, everything I do is to protect you. Recent events have,” Gabriel paused. Adrien was stunned. If he had any feeling, any want to just stand up and converse with his father, they were silenced now. “They have made me understand how fleeting life can be. Adrien, I do not want to lose you.”

And he felt it. After all the years, Gabriel chose to pick up the heart strings. He knew where they led, he knew where they came from. Surrounding him was a sea of black, of pain from neglect, from mistreatment. A terrible anger that tailed him, emotions most familiar, emotions he felt very responsible for. Yet in the distance, a heroic spirit burned bright, fueled by an unfathomable passion for freedom, unwavering and proud. So why did he feel scared? Why did it feel as if this fire threatened to consume him alive, to see a body burn and char into cinders? The darkness behind pushed him in. Gabriel started back from Adrien and a hand unconsciously leapt to his pin. He was in a cold sweat.

No, Gabriel bit his lip. He would not let it just be like this. He felt compelled to change things. He felt compelled to make things right for his son. “Please Adrien, I love you.” He could not help letting the kwami pin chime. He sent that bitterness to sleep.

Adrien heard the door latch close and he was left staring at the kwami ring that resided on his finger, the object of his very freedom. Plagg slipped out from the shadows and settled in Adrien’s hair, gently brushing the side of his head. He was once haunted by the image of his father falling down to his death. His heart skipped a beat in recollection. Yet Adrien’s face hardened and he held the ring closer to his heart. No, I don’t want to lose you either dad. I do have the power to protect what I cherish and I can change the way the world works. Plagg smiled briefly in the dark.

Gabriel stood outside the door, staring at his hands, scowling. He was supposed to take Adrien’s ring. At least, that was the original intent. Yet when those words came tumbling out, when he saw Adrien before him, he found himself gripped by inaction and he found it all so very frustrating. What was he to do? Gabriel took a deep breath, his hand sliding over the handle. He could walk back in. He could try again. He could just take the ring. Both hands gripped the handles now. That ring was the very catalyst to his victory and here he was, uselessly standing before a pair of doors, unwilling to even move an inch.

Was he that pathetic, he seethed, but none of those words were lies. He really did want to see Adrien alive and well. He was scared of leaving Adrien alone, that he, himself, would disappear. And he almost did. In his haste, in his arrogance and impatience, he would have taken away the last of what little family Adrien had left. But he knew he could not forgive the world, that his being would tear itself asunder with madness if Adrien was taken from him, if taken during his line of ‘duty’. The word slid down his throat like poison. The sharp edges of the handles were digging into his skin. His hands hurt. Why did he feel so powerless? All the intent, all the anger had long since burned away. He was barely smoldering now.

“I think you did very well. Did you not feel it too, how you eased his heart? How fear and resentment can melt away into bravery. An emboldened spirit feels so much warmer than an akuma’s nesting grounds,” Nooroo assured Gabriel, floating towards his hands with a quiet flutter. He gently pried Gabriel’s fingers from the handles, rubbing softly where the metal had dug in. “It is okay to feel scared and small against the world before you, but that is never a reason to give up. Do you not miss it at all? The times when you and -”

“I do not,” Gabriel growled. “I did not give you permission to speak.” Nooroo ignored his master, understanding that while he should still avoid the topic of the peacock, he was not ready to become trapped in that pin once again, not until he had said his piece.

“I still believe in you. I have seen the real you. I have seen in your times of greatness and your times of needs. This is not you, none of this akuma business is, none of this master plan. What you did just now, that is your gift. You empower, not corrupt. Every akuma you make takes another piece of you away. It is never too late to fix things.” Nooroo assailed Gabriel, grabbing at his tie with tiny arms. “Don’t you see how different things can be?”

“I am fixing things Nooroo. The world has changed and I will be its master.” Without another word, Nooroo was once again dismissed back into the void. The world around him faded into darkness. He was left downcast. As the butterfly kwami, he lifted hearts, made people into heroes, but he could not heal Gabriel’s. He too felt powerless. All his years of experience and power could not touch the one heart that mattered.

“Adrien, protect your father. He is hurting.”


End file.
